Sports

A week ago I mentioned the legitimacy of this team was dependent on how well they did on this latest road trip, which to me basically included Monday's home game vs. the Wings.

After beating four of the league best teams, I am left with no other answer but: Yes, the Canucks are for real! And by for real, I of course mean they are a shoo-in for the playoffs. Well, kind of.

- PULLING FOR LOU:

Goalie Roberto Luongo's groin pull - or as the new NHL calls it, an upper upper upper foot injury - left the entire Canuck nation holding their breath Saturday. It's that same silence you only get when someone's trying to listen to newlyweds go at it through a Vegas hotel room wall. Or is that just me?

Regardless, the prognosis is basically no Luongo for at least a month if you listen to his agent. That being said, will this news alter the way the Canucks push their offence? Will a few bad goals on Sanford turn a group of enthusiastic forwards into a less than attractive prevent defence?

- OPERATION ABORTED:

Just as I was ready to sign the consent forms to have the team's conjoined twins separated, along comes Pavol Demitra. The results have been a deluge of points this past week, which could mean the only thing missing from the top line all this time was another playmaker. Daniel Sedin has died and gone to tap in heaven.

- PLUS/MINUS:

During the Canucks' trip to Madison Square Garden, the topic of whether or not the Canucks should retire Markus Naslund's No. 19 came up. First off, if anyone's jersey is going to be retired after Trevor Linden, it should be the best player to ever lace 'em up in a Canucks uniform, Pavel Bure.

Bure was the most exciting player in the team's history. Our generation will likely never see a better pure goal scorer on this squad. No. 10 also had an Ovechkin-like mean streak - ask Shane Churla - and was every bit as responsible for the 1994 Cup run as Linden was. Say no to 19 and HANG TEN baby!